Firing control system

ABSTRACT

A firing control system for training shooters to resist the tendency to flinch when firing firearms. A firing control including a rotatable cam is linked between a firing pin latch and the trigger in a manner such that the firing pin is released with a randomly varied time delay after the trigger is pulled. The control may be bypassed for firing the weapon in the normal manner.

United States Patent [191 McCurdy FIRING CONTROL SYSTEM [76] Inventor: James P. McCurdy, 1025 N. Miller Rd., Saginaw, Mich. 48603 22 Filed: May 6, 1974 21 Appl. No; 466,991

52 us. Cl. 35/25 51 int. Cl. ..F4lg 3/26 [58] Field of Search 35/25; 89/29; 42/77, 1 R

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,704,530 l2/l972 Arenson i. 35/25 June 10, 1975 Primary ExaminerRobert W. Michell Assistant Examiner-John H. Wolff Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Learman & McCulloch [57] ABSTRACT A firing control system for training shooters to resist the tendency to flinch when firing firearms. A firing control including a rotatable cam is linked between a firing pin latch and the trigger in a manner such that the firing pin is released with a randomly varied time delay after the trigger is pulled. The control may be bypassed for firing the weapon in the normal manner.

4 Claims, 1 Drawing Figure FIRING CONTROL SYSTEM BACKGROUND OF THE lNVlzNTlON One of the problems most frequently encountered by firearm instructors is the tendency of the beginning student to anticipate the recoil of the weapon and to flinch before the weapon is discharged. This problem is particularly prevelant where a larger caliber rifle is involved with its heavier recoil. Flinching is an exceedingly difficult habit to break in that the more the student fires the rifle, the more familiar he becomes with the degree of trigger pull at which the weapon will fire and this in turn makes the student more prone to flinch just prior to discharge.

The present invention is especially directed to a control system under which a randomly varied time delay occurs between the pressing of the trigger to the firing point and the discharge of the weapon. This random time interval prevents the student from being able to accurately anticipate when firing will occur and thus enables the student to concentrate solely on maintaining his point of aim steadily until discharge occurs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In its most basic sense the present invention takes the form ofa firing control in which the release ofthe firing pin from its cocked position to fire the weapon is dependent on the simultaneous occurrence of two separate events, one of which is under the control of the shooter and the other of which is not. In the present system, this may be done quite conveniently by means of an electrical circuit which controls a solenoid which is operable when energized to unlatch or release the firing pin from its cocked position. Energization of the solenoid is in turn dependent upon the simultaneous closure of two switches, one of the switches being closed by pulling of the trigger, while the other switch is controlled by a rotatable cam which will close the second switch only when the cam is at a particular rotative position. The cam is driven in rotation by an electric motor which is connected to its power source through a switch controlled by the weapon safety so that the electric motor is energized when the safety is in the fire position and is deenergized when the safety is in the safe position. Reduction gears may be employed between the motor and rotatable cam so that the cam is driven at a relatively slow rate of rotation, as for example one revolution in 4 or 5 seconds.

When the weapon is pointed at the target and the safety is shifted to the fire position, the electric motor is energized to drive the rotative cam. The rotative position of the cam at the instant the trigger is squeezed may be at any random rotative position, dependent upon the length of time which has elapsed since the safety was pushed to the fire position and the rotative position of the cam at that particular time. Thus, when the trigger is depressed a time delay of anywhere from zero seconds up to the number of seconds required for the cam to make a substantially complete revolution will occur before the cam closes its associated switch to complete the electrical circuit to energize the firing pin release solenoid.

A bypass switch may be connected in the circuit to bypass the cam control switch to achieve instantaneous firing upon depression of the trigger in a normal manner.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent by reference to the following specification and to the drawing, wherein:

the single FIGURE is a schematic diagram of the present invention.

The invention has been illustrated only schematically in the drawing because the construction and characteristics of individual firearms will require various adaptations to fit the particular model firearm to which the invention is applied.

The structure schematically illustrated in the drawing may be considered in general to be a schematic side elevational view of the firing mechanism of a conventional rifle designated generally R. Mechanism illustrated includes a firing pin designated generally 10 which is illustrated in its cocked position. Firing pin 10 is biased toward its firing position by a spring 12 and is maintained in its cocked position by a latch lever 14 seated against a cam surface 16 on pin 10 and held in the latching position by a release lever 18 having a lip 20 engaged with a shoulder 22 on latch lever 14. Latch lever 14 is pivotally mounted upon a fixed pivot 24 and is biased toward the illustrated latching position by a spring 26. Release lever 18 is mounted upon a fixed pivot 28 and biased toward its latching position by a spring 30.

Other elements of rifle R include a trigger 32 mounted on a fixed pivot 34 and a lever-type safety 36 mounted upon a fixed pivot 38. In the drawing, safety 36 is shown in full lines in its firing position in which a projecting toe 40 on the safety is pivoted clear of the path of movement of a projecting lug 42 on latch lever 14. When safety 36 is shifted into its safe position, toe 40 of the safety underlies lug 42 of latch lever 14 and positively locks lever 14 against disengagement from the firing pin.

The structure described thus far will vary between different makes and models of firearms and the particular mechanism shown is not intended to represent any particular rifle action.

The firing control system includes a solenoid 44 whose armature 46 is normally maintained in the extended position show in the drawing, solenoid 44 being operable when energized to retract its armature rod 46 into the coil. The end of rod 46 is pivotally coupled to a holding lever 48 mounted for pivotal movement upon a fixed pivot 50 and having a toe portion 52 which bears against the end of release lever 18.

A rotatable cam 54 is driven in rotation about a fixed axis by an electric motor 56, the motor preferably including appropriate reduction gearing to achieve a speed of revolution of cam 54 of about one revolution every four orfive seconds. The periphery of cam 54 is so shaped as to cause closure of two normally open contacts of a switch 58 when the large radius section of cam 54 contacts the switch feeler 60. The dimensions of the cam and its location relative to switch 58 are chosen such that the contacts of switch 58 are closed only during a relatively small portion of the rotary movement of cam 54, namely when the extreme large radius portion of the cam is in contact with feeler 60. The contacts of switch 58 are thus closed for a short period only during each revolution of the cam and when the cam is driven at a speed of revolution of one revolution every 5 seconds, the cam will be closed for approximately one-tenth of a second every 5 seconds.

An electrical power source 62 which may take the form of one r more batteries mounted in the stock of rifle R is connected by a positive lead 64 to one contact of a second normally open feeler type switch 66. In the drawing, the contacts of switch 66 are shown closed by virtue of the location of the weapon safety 36 in its fire position, in which a portion of the safety 36 has engaged the feeler 68 of switch 66 to close the contacts. An electrical lead 70 connects the other contact of switch 66 to one side of electric motor 56, while a third electrical lead 72 is connected from the other side of motor 56 to the negative side of electric supply source 62. From the foregoing, it is apparent that when safety 36 is in its fire position, electric motor 56 is energized to continuously drive cam 54 in rotation and that motor 56 is deenergized when the safety is in its safe position.

Energization of solenoid 44 is under the joint control of switch 58 and a third normally open switch 74. Switch 74 is provided with a feeler 76 engageable by a stud 78 on trigger 32 in a manner such that the contacts of switch 74 are closed when trigger 32 is held in its firing position. The contacts of switch 58 are respectively connected to lead 70 as by a lead 80 and to one side of solenoid 44 by a lead 82. A lead 84 connects the other side of solenoid 44 to one contact of switch 74, the remaining contact of switch 74 being connected to negative lead 72 by a lead 86.

In the drawing the system is shown in its cocked, ready-to-fire position. In this situation, the weapon may be assumed to be pointed at the target with the shooter taking aim and the safety in its fire position. At this particular time, motor 56 is energized from the positive side of battery source 62 via lead 64, the closed contacts of switch 66 and lead 70 to one side of the motor and lead 72 back from the opposite side of the motor to the negative side of the source 62. Cam 54 is thus in rotation in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in the drawing, the large radius portion of the cam engaging feeler 60 to close the contacts of switch 58 once every revolution of cam 54. Trigger 32 has not yet been squeezed and hence the contacts of switch 74 are open; thus the circuit to solenoid 44 is normally completely open, with one side only of its energizing circuit being closed momentarily once for each revolution of cam 54 as the cam momentarily closed the contacts of switch 58.

Assuming now that trigger 32 is squeezed to cause stud 78 to engage feeler 76 to close the contacts of switch 74, a circuit from one side of solenoid 44 is completed via lead 84, the closed contacts of switch 74 and lead 86 to the negative side of source 62. Because a generally unpredictable period of time has elapsed since safety 36 was shifted to its fire position to energize motor 56, the position of cam 54 at the instant switch 74 is closed cannot be accurately predicted by the shooter. Assuming that, at the moment the contacts of switch 74 are first closed by pulling of trigger 32 cam 54 is appoximately one-quarter of a revolution short of having its high point engage feeler 60, it will be necessary for the shooter to hold the trigger in its fire position for approximately one second in order to give cam 54 sufficient time to close the contacts of switch 58 and complete the circuit to solenoid 44. When solenoid 44 is energized its armature rod 46 is pulled in to rotate lever 48 in a clockwise direction as viewed in the drawings thus pressing the left-hand end of release lever 18 downwardly about its pivot 28 to disengage lip on lever 18 from shoulder 22 on latch lever 14. When shoulder 22 is disengaged from lip 20, the force of firing pin spring 12 and the inclined cam surface engagement between surface 16 of the firing pin and release lever 14 cause the firing pin to force release lever 14 downwardly to disengage the lever from pin 10 to permit pin 10 to move to the left as viewed in the drawing to fire the rifle.

Should the shooters aim wander from the target, firing may be prevented by his releasing the trigger. In the event it is wished to fire the rifle in a normal manner, a bypass circuit is provided which bypasses the contacts of switch 58. A manually operable on-off switch 88 is connected between lead and a bypass lead 90 so that when switch 88 is closed, one side of the circuit to solenoid 44 is completed and energization of solenoid 44 will occur immediately upon closure of the contacts of switch 74.

While one exemplary embodiment of the invention has been described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the disclosed embodiment may be modified. Therefore, the foregoing description is to be considered exemplary rather than limiting, and the true scope of the invention is that defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. For use in combination with a firearm having a firing pin movable between a cocked and a fire position, a trigger movable between a ready and a fire position, and a safety movable between a safe and a fire position, the improvement comprising firing control means including latch means normally engaged with said firing pin when said pin is in said cocked position to latch said pin in said cocked position and operable when actuated to release said pin to permit said pin to move to said fire position; cyclically movable means operable at one point in its cycle to condition said latch means for actuation; drive means operable when actuated to drive said cyclically movable means in cyclic movement; first control means for actuating said drive means; and second control means operable when said trigger is in said fire position to actuate said latch means when said latch means is conditioned for actuation by said cyclically movable means.

2. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein said drive means comprises an electric motor, said first control means comprises an electrical power source, and including first switch means operable by said safety when said safety is in said fire position to electrically connect said electric motor to said power source.

3. The invention defined in claim 2 wherein said latch means comprises an electrical solenoid which is actuated when energized, said cyclically movable means comprising rotatable cam means including a cam actuated electrical switch closed at a given rotative position of said rotatable cam means, and said second control means comprises a second electrical switch connected in series with said cam actuated switch, said second switch being closed by said trigger when in said fire position to connect said solenoid to said electrical power source.

4. The invention defined in claim 3 further comprising manually operable switch means locatable in either of an open or a closed position electrically connected in parallel with said cam control switch. 

1. For use in combination with a firearm having a firing pin movable between a cocked and a fire position, a trigger movable between a ready and a fire position, and a safety movable between a safe and a fire position, the improvement comprising firing control means including latch means normally engaged with said firing pin when said pin is in said cocked position to latch said pin in said cocked position and operable when actuated to release said pin to permit said pin to move to said fire position; cyclically movable means operable at one point in its cycle to condition said latch means for actuation; drive means operable when actuated to drive said cyclically movable means in cyclic movement; first control means for actuating said drive means; and second control means operable when said trigger is in said fire position to actuate said latch means when said latch means is conditioned for actuation by said cyclically movable means.
 2. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein said drive means comprises an electric motor, said first control means comprises an electrical power source, and including first switch means operable by said safety when said safety is in said fire position to electrically connect said electric motor to said power source.
 3. The invention defined in claim 2 wherein said latch means comprises an electrical solenoid which is actuated when energized, said cyclically movable means comprising rotatable cam means including a cam actuated electrical switch closed at a given rotative position of said rotatable cam means, and said second control means comprises a second electrical switch connected in series with said cam actuated switch, said second switch being closed by said trigger when in said fire position to connect said solenoid to said electrical power source.
 4. The invention defined in claim 3 further comprising manually operable switch means locatable in either of an open or a closed position electrically connected in parallel with said cam control switch. 